Universal cable-clamping device



Jan. 18, 1949. 1.. VERKUIL I UNIVERSAL CABLE- CLAMPI-NG DEVICE Filed July 26, 1946 3 T N mm m M m able heavy sheet metal, the plate portion 24 being of a width approximating the length of the interior of the housing with the lever arm 20 thereof extending centrally and upwardly therefrom; to either side of the arm 20 the plate portion 24 has L-shaped extensions 21, 28 (see also Fig.

the faces of, the vertical portions of which are preferably depressed or recessed as at 29 and 30, respectively, to form trunnions or partial bearing recesses for coaction with a pivoting pin later described. The lower end of the plate portion 24 is curved and may be serrated at its edge as indicated at 3! (see Fig. 3) .to former gripping jaw. Tothe under face of the top wall II is secured as by screws 33 which passthrough extension ears 34, a slit tube-like member'35rnade of a suitable spring sheet metal preferably steel, the ears 34 being integrally formed therewith. As is better seen in Fig. 5, the two clamping levers 22, 23, with the, arms 20 and2l; thereof extending upwardly through the holes 18 and ill in the top wall I l, as the vertical arms of their L-shaped extensions 2'! and 28 extended into'the interior of the slit spring tube element 35which is strained openin any suitable manner to effect this interrelationship and assembly, and between theresultant juxtaposed vertical portions of these two clamping elements and with its ends seated in the trunnions or bearing recesses 29-29 and 3ll30, is a pin or shaft 31 about which the two clampinglevers 22 and 23 may pivot and which coacts also with the'relative angularities of the juxtaposed parts 27-521 and 28-48 (see Fig. 5) to oppose downward disengaging movement of the two *clampin'glevers' 22 and 23 relative to the now strained split spring element/-35 which acts upon .them to strongly urge and hold the matingserrated jaw portions 3| of each in closing position. I

As better-appears in Fig. 5, thelever arms 2|} 4 and 2i by-pass the tube-like spring element 35,

each to one side thereof and preferably with an,

appropriate extent of clearance. In the space between the arm 20 and the spring element 35 and curved (see Fig. 5) to substantially mate with the external curvaturelof the element 35 is a shank 39 of a spring clamping'member generally indicated by the reference character 40 and shaped to provide a transversely elongated platelike but curved clampingjaw 4|. A similar and identically shaped spring clamping element 43 has a shank 44 extending into the space between thearm 2| and the other curved face of the spring element 35, being curved to be more or less conformed to the latter, and having a transversely elongated and curved clamping jaw 45.

As seen in the side elevation, the general configuration of these two clamping elements 40 and '43 is substantially as shown in broken lines in Fig. 4, in which the member is shown in its position underlying the clamping lever element 22. With theshank parts 39 and 44 of the internalclamping elements 40 and 43 conforming externally to the curvature of the spring element 35"and with the top edgesof their wider clamping-jaw parts 4| and 45 underlying the opposed horizontal portions of the L-shaped extensions fliand' 28" of the clamping levers 22 and 23, the

clamping elements 40and 43 which are preferably made of'a suitable spring sheet metal, are thushldin assembled relation to the otherparts.

aided by' the reaction of the spring jaws 4| and 45 which, with'theparts in the position shown in Fig. 5, are understrain) However and preferably the shanks 39 and 44 are joined together as indicated at 46, thus not only facilitating the making of the spring clamping elements and 43 out of a single piece of sheet metal, as by stamping, but also permitting the joined or unitary shanks 39 and 44 to overlie the springmounting element 35 as shown in Fig. 5,. so that when the assemblage is inserted into the interior of thehousing l0 and the screws 33 put in place to secure the assemblage against the under side of the top wall II, the band-like part that joins the shanks 39 and 44 is clamped between the spring element 35 and the top wall II and the two spring jaws 4l'and are thus dependably secured to resist downward stresses upon them as view in Fig. 5.

Upon completion of the fastening of the assemblage to the under side of the top wall H, the upper ends of the lever arms 20 and 2| project upwardly beyond the upper face of thetop wall H and to these projecting portions are securedtwo finger grips 48 and 49 which are preferably hollowed at their external sidefaces as indicated at 48 and 49 ,The finger grips may.

. be made of any suitable material such as molded I this purpose, the jaw parts 24 and 25, which project materially below the lower edge ofthe housing III, are separated .as are also the spring jaw parts and 45 whose lower edgesfall just" about in the plane of thelower edge or 'edg'es.

of the housing It] and have curvatures (see Fig. 5) which, in .relation to the curvatures ofthe end wall slots l6 and 11, form their width in end view or projection, a close [approximation of a circle of a diameter preferably somewhat less; than the thickness of the flexible cable [with which these parts are to coact. j Accordingly by manipulating the finger grips 48-49 as above mentioned to open the clamping jaws 24 and 25 and thereupon bridging the cable, indicated at 59 in Figs. 7 and 8, acrossthe under side of the housing l0 so that the cable enters the end wall slots I6 and H, the cable thus also passes' through the open jaws 24, and 25 and becomes engaged between and by the spring jaws ill a ijrd 45. It enters between the latter if, as may be "defsired, the spring jaws are so tensioned initially that they are separated or openedappropriately at the same time that the rigid jaws 24 'and' 25 are opened, or they may be so tensioned as t6 reg quire the application of a small forceupon; the" cable to cam the cable into the grip of the sprin jaws 44 and 45 for which purpose the lower end portions thereof may be reverse bends, as indi catectin Fig. 5, to facilitate such entry of the;

cable.

If now the the. cable 50 in the manner indicated in' Fig. '7;

the cable lying above the plane of the bottom cordor cable provides appropriate yielding action so that if desired, the device as a whole maybe' finger grips 48 and 49 are re1eased, the entire device finds itselfneatIy attached to" the signallingv switch. 53. which it is desiliedttql is ly actuating them from theexterio-r Of'SEtidi-hOUS-r,

ing and having clamping portions extending downwardly beyond. the. plane of: the bottomof the housing for: clamping a part other than said bridging cable reach, and clamping means with maintain within closereach oft-the patient ch li in t hehousing and: ac'tuatable by said. two levers.

usually it is desired to. securei-t to the bedzstructure or to the bed-clothes such. as a. sheet, blanket on the like Accordingly the fin er grips 4i}. an-di 49- may. nowagain. be. pressed: together, thus, opening the rigid jaw 2:4: ancb 2 15, but due tothe.

and 45, the cableis not releasedg withrthe downs. wardlyprotrudingrigid clampingjaws and thus sep'arated or open, thesheet orblanket in-,. dicated -"at 52 Fig. 7= car-other part is bro-ught into the open laws 24 and}? which tightl stgripv it uponrelease of thefinger-gri-ps 48-5 49:. Fire.- quently i t w i ll spffigeif the device with the rigid jaws held open is simply pressed down upon or against a blanke t slgee t couer or the like so as to work a fold of the latter into the open jaws for gripping purposes. In any case the gripping ac tion of the spring jaws 4|, 45, on the cable is not interfered with in these processes of the application of the rigid jaws, for the spring jaws are substantially backed up by the cable held within their grip.

There are occasions when it may be desired to secure or suspend the signalling switch 5! by looping a portion of the cord 50 about a, fixed part or structure such as the post or rail of the bed and in Fig. 8 such a fixed part is indicated at 53 with the cable looped thereabout as at 50". Having so looped the cable, the two portions 50 and 50 are engaged by the clamping device, one cable part within the pring jaws 4|, 45, and the other within the rigid jaws 24, 25. Or if the device is already attached in the above described manner to one cable portion such as the portion 50*, a succeeding manipulation of the finger grips 48, 49, and hence the external clamping jaw 24, 25, suifices to bring the other cable portion 50 into attachment by way of the jaws 24, 25.

Thus it is possible to avoid rapid deterioration as results from maltreatment of flexible cables or cords when the attempt is made to use'them to tie the signalling switch at the desired location and also it is possible to avoid the damage caused bythe use of pins or safety pins, and in any case a wide flexibility or range of adaptation to varied circumstances is provided, and it will be seen that these and other advantages are achieved in a simple, reliable and foolproof manner.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all'matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

1. A clamping device for clamping a cable and for clamping another part comprising a housing open at its bottom and having open ended slots respectively and of an extent to engage and; clamp. substantially only saidbridging cable reach.

2-: A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which v 23 saidclam-ping meansfor-the bridging cablereach spring actionofithe spring-cable gripping aws; 41-.

corn-prises two spring jaws which by their spring action} are biased toward each other, and connectionsbetween saidspringjaws and said two-levers for efiecting manual actuation thereof in 2 responseto actu-ationofs sa-idlevers;

3. A'construotion as-claimed inclaim 1 in which said clamping-meansforthe bridging cable-reach mpris s two; spring-biased-jaws respectively secured to said two. lever arms and accommodated in the space between said lever clam-pingportions.

4. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which said lever mounting and biasing means comprises a split tube-like spring element having means for securing it to a wall of the housing, said two 1evers having respective extensions entered into the split tube-like spring element and means spaced in a direction inwardly of said tube-like element for pivoting one extension against the other whereby the parts of said spring tube-like element bias said jaw portions of said levers toward each other.

5. A clamping device for clamping a cable and for clamping another part comprising two lever members each having a finger portion and a clamping jaw with means pivotally connecting them and biasing their jaws one toward the other, and spring biased clamping jaws of lesser reach than said first mentioned jaws with means mechanically assembling them to said levers for engaging a reach of cable that extends through the space within said first jaws whereby the latter are substantially uniobstructed by said cable reach and can engage and clamp some other part to thereby fasten said cable reach.

6. A clamping device for clamping a cable and for clamping another part comprising two lever :jaws in engaging and clamping some other part for fastening said cable reach thereto.

7. A clamping. device for clamping a cable and for clamping another part comprising two lever members having means pivotally connecting them and biasing them in opposite directions and each having a finger piece and a clamping jaw, said clamping jaws having a configuration to envelope therein a space of substantial dimension and lever members having secured thereto a spring clamping jaw that extends internally of its own clamping jaw and is of shorter length than the latter for engaging a reach of cable and holding it within said first clamping jaws'in'a position where the latter are sufficiently unobstructed to engage and clamp some other part to thereby fasten said cable reach. a

8. A clamping device for clamping a cable and for clamping another part comprising two clamping jaw members having means mounting them for movement toward and away from each other together with means for biasing them toward each other to clamp a part engaged therebetween, finger piece members for actuating said jaw members in opposition to said biasing means, and supplementary clamping jaws having means mounting them within an inner portion of thespace encompassed by said jaw members and shaped for gripping coaction with a cable said supplementary clamping jaws having means biasing them toward each other and having means interrelating them to said finger piece members to effect opening movement thereof in response to actuation of said finger piece members. i

9. A clamping device for clamping a cable and for clamping another part comprising a housing open at its bottom and having open-ended slots 8 in two opposed depending walls to receive a reach of cable therein to thereby bridge the interior space in the housing, said housing having aperture means in the top wall, opposed clamping jaws, depending from the interior of the housing and jaws, said spring-biased jaw members having terminals forming substantially an outwardly divergent mouth for entering said cable reach therein against the spring-biasing action.

11. A construction as claimed in claim 9 in which said clamping jaw members have mechanical connections with said finger piece members to actuate them in opening direction in response to actuation of said finger piece members.

we L. VERKUIL.

No references cited. 

